Vanessa: Unplugged!: About Vanessa

elcome to Vanessa: Unplugged! This blog started out as a personal blog about whatever was on my mind and gradually transformed into a political blog thanks to the protracted 2008 Democratic presidential race. I'm a bit eccentric so whatever is on my mind may end up on this blog --- consider yourself warned.

I am divorced and somewhat unencumbered except for my parents, our three dogs, seven cats and whatever stray animal makes it way to our yard. I am a people person and frequently find myself in conversation with total strangers.

Rather than try to write about myself, if you want to get to know me, check out my interview below with Martin Lindsey of MartyBLOGs. If you’re still interested, after reading the interview, do two things: Subscribe to Vanessa: Unplugged! and check out MartyBLOGs.

Smooches!

Peace and Love…

Vanessa

My interview on MartyBlogs

Friday, April 6, 2007

Say Good Morning to Vanessa Byers

She's unplugged but she hasn't come undone. I'd like to introduce you to Vanessa Byers, MartyBLOG's guest blogger of the day. I like the acoustic sound of her site Vanessa: Unplugged! which covers a variety of subjects on life as she sees it.

As her screen bio says she's a fiscal management professional, freelance poet, writer and activist. Today Vanessa has the MartyBLOGs spot light so let's get to know her a little better.

1. Tell us about your current career and how you got into it.

I actually got into accounting by default. I wanted to be an actor, dancer and poet. My Dad told me I needed a stable career and that entertainers were always broke. Numbers come very easy to me; I didn’t want to be a mathematics teacher so I turned to accounting. After I got married responsibilities overshadowed any previous desires to exert my creative self. I’ve since met many wonderful people, had some
terrific career experiences and make a decent salary. I have nothing to complain about.

2. How did you get started into blogging?

I don’t remember exactly how I got into it. I know that I started writing again after my daughter’s death. Writing helps me cope with the pain of her loss. I wrote a couple of articles for a newspaper about her death. Then I wrote her obituary, did the layout, design and other content for the program celebrating her life. So many people suggested I continue writing that I couldn’t ignore it and here I am.

3. How do blogging and career meld together for you?

Right now, the two really don’t. As a matter of fact, I intentionally try to balance my right-brain activity with left-brain activity. I can be so anal when it comes to numbers that most people think that’s all I can do. I am much more of a creative person than they realize so blogging is a relief for me.

4. Tell us about the two bloggers you read the most and why they are worthy of our subscribing to their feeds.

Two bloggers? That’s difficult. My blogging tastes are eclectic much like me. I tend to go with the flow of how I’m feeling at the time.

Let me start off with Howard Pippins, bigdaddycc over on Yahoo! 360. I’ve been reading his blog, Big Daddy’s Daily Bullsh*t , for over a year. He is witty and a naturally talented writer. I also read A Bowl of Stupid authored by Matt. He is so sarcastic and so brilliant. I am also touched by the personal obstacles he’s overcome. Matt is always a good read, he’s just not for the faint of heart and mind.

I know that you said two but I must mention my personal blogging guru, Paula Neal Mooney . Her writing is fresh and she provides valuable information to other bloggers. I always check her out her for the latest in blogging tips and trends.

5. You’ve just recently lost a child. Please reiterate for my readers the importance of planning ahead for inevitable events.

There are no words in my vocabulary that stress the magnitude of the importance of planning ahead for the inevitable. We all know that when we are born we will die. We don’t know when it’s going happen and we’re not comfortable discussing it. I never expected to bury my child. Who does? I do know that financing the arrangements turned out to be the least stressful part of that episode in my life.

I’d advise anyone that hasn’t done so already to get their personal business affairs in order now. It’s so important to be in an objective, logical frame of mind when dealing with issues like pre-need arrangements. If you don’t have a will, you want to get that taken care of right away also.

6. Tell us about one person in your community who is relatively unknown to the rest of the world, who you believe is significant in some way, and that you would like the rest world to know more about.

Let’s see, there are a few people in South Florida that fit the bill but I think Max Rameau of the Center for Pan-African Development is the person I’d like the rest of the world to know more about. Most recently, Rameau has led a resistance movement against gentrification and for low income housing for area residents.

Rameau and his Umoja Village Shantytown in Miami’s Liberty City area have been featured on national television. Some local politicians have threatened to bulldoze the makeshift village but Rameau and his comrades have stood their ground. The politicians are in a precarious position as recent investigations have proved that millions of dollars earmarked to help residents have been misspent and outright squandered.

7. Give us the two most effective SEO tips that have created traffic flow to your site.

My two most effective tips for creating traffic are commenting on other blogs and joining MyBlogLog. I have a circle of friends whose blogs I read and post comments to frequently. If their blog is popular then my comments are seen by others and so it goes.

MyBlog Log is probably my most effective means of connecting with bloggers who increase traffic to my blog. MyBlogLog is how I met you and a few other bloggers I’ve connected with. This is not a commercial for that site but I highly recommend them.

8. What is the latest book you are reading? Give us a review.

I’ve been reading, Dating Games: A Brotha Speaks Up, written by an internet buddy, Sumumba Sobukwe. The book covers relationships, especially how we women tend to go way off-track and pick the wrong dude. The signs are there that he’s not into us but we continue in frustrating relationships. It’s pretty good because of the common sense approach to relationships. He also gets personal by discussing his late mother’s emotionally and physically destructive long-term relationship with his step-father. Right now the book is self-published; I expect it will be stylized and on shelves in major bookstores within a couple of months.

9. Whimsical question. If you were a superhero/heroine, which character would you be?

That’s an easy question for me. I’d be Catwoman, but Eartha Kitt’s version, of course. I loved her in the Batman television series. Catwoman is smart, sexy and tough.

10. Serious transition from whimsy. Who’s a real life hero who has had a significant and direct impact on your life?

That would be my parents, Dr. & Mrs. Art (Mary) Woodard. As far back as I can remember, my parents have always helped others. They were strong advocates for voting and civil rights. As a young child I can recall going to boycott organizing meetings and occasionally having to allow NAACP field agents to sleep in my bedroom.

My parents are both educators in their early eighties and late seventies. Their students still keep in contact with them and let my folks know how much they appreciate them. That’s really special and demonstrative of the influence teachers have on students. I’ll share some of their experiences on my blog from time to time.

Marty, before this interview comes to a close, I’d like to say that it’s been a pleasure meeting you. What you’re doing via MartyBLOGs is to be commended. I am truly humbled by this opportunity to share a little about myself with your readers.

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Another well read blogger has givien us a glimpse into her life. With educator parents what else would we expect? No wonder she writes so well.

Thank you for the compliments, Vanessa. A variety of perspectives and off takes are what we shoot for each day and you have contributed to that effort.

Well folks as I always say, link, save and fave. And have an outstanding weekend!